Never Again
by lostsunsets
Summary: Beth visits Alison after she shoots Maggie Chen, in search of comfort and that's exactly what she finds.


A/N: this ship is ruining my life...

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The smell of the gunfire still lingered in her nose from when she used it and the sound of it going off still rung in her ear. She didn't know what to do and where she was going. All she knew was she couldn't take any more questioning from Art about what happened. As of right now, Beth only had one person she could really go to: Alison. Alison knew about Beth's problems with her medications and with Paul. She knew just about every detail about Beth's life. This is why she ended up at Alison's basement door at 1 a.m. As she waited for the door to open she hoped to god Donnie wasn't home.

As the seconds ticked by and there still wasn't an answer, Beth was just about to knock again when the light flicked on and the door was swung open to reveal an upset Alison. Clad in her pink, button-up pajamas and a pair of slippers with her hair in a tight ponytail, she stared at Beth with a tight expression. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" Alison inquired before she turned and waited for Beth to follow her in.

Stepping across the threshold, Beth took a second to bask in the warmth and security Alison's house had to offer. It was what she needed most at this moment: comfort and peace. She craved it. She couldn't find it anywhere else, not in her own flat that she shared with Paul and not in Paul's arms at night. Only in this house with Alison not too far was she able to find it. Alison always knew what to say and do when she was going through a particularly hard day like today. She knew how to hold Beth in her arms as she cried, how to soothe her worries, and how to reassure her everything was still okay.

Noticing something was going through Beth's head, Alison lighted her expression and took a step closer to Beth. Reaching out to her genetic identical, Alison took Beth's hand smiling at how the warmth of the woman's hand spread through her. "Beth?"

"Sorry, I didn't realize the time…" Beth said, her voice detached and a lost look in her brown eyes.

Alison sighed and led her to the couch. Sitting down, she angled herself to the cop and asked, "What happened?"

Beth just stared down at their joined hands, running her thumb over the back of Alison's hand. She wanted to be completely honest about what happened with Maggie Chen, who she was and why she had shot her, but she just couldn't. Telling everything to Alison would just put her in harm's way. Who knew how many more of them were there to hunt down Beth and the others. She just couldn't risk telling Alison and then having her worry. She has enough to worry about with the kids and Donnie. She wouldn't be responsible for Alison not getting sleep at night because she was up with worry. No, she wouldn't do that.

Instead she lifted her eyes up to Alison's and answered, "I shot a civilian today." She heard Alison gasp but continued. "I thought she had a gun, but she didn't…" She lied.

"Oh, Beth…"

"I can't get it out of my head, Ali. You know I've never killed anyone before, and now… I just don't know who I am anymore."

Alison squeezed her hand and looked her straight in the eye. "You're the same person as you were before, Beth. Accidently killing a civilian doesn't change a thing. You're still the strong, brave, hilarious, stubborn, wonderful woman whom I fell in love with."

A smile broke out onto Beth's face. "You're in love with me?"

Alison froze at the realization that she confessed to Beth her feelings. "I didn't say that," she tried to differ as she looked away from Beth's intense gaze.

"Yes you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, Ali, you did say that."

"No. I didn't."

"Ali… I love you too." Beth confessed.

"Really?" Alison looked up from beneath her bangs.

"How couldn't I?"

Beth moved her other hand up to caress Alison's face, taking the time to memorize every pore, every line and the sparkle Alison had in her eyes that Beth lacked. Then ever so slowly, Beth was leaning forward and connecting their lips. Slipping her eyes closed, Alison sighed into the kiss and placed her free hand over Beth's keeping it in place. Seconds ticked by and she knew the kiss had to end soon, but still Alison prayed it'd never end.

The kisses lasted for a while. They lasted through Beth's suspension, through when Beth taught Alison to shoot, through the crafts Alison would try to get Beth into, and through a couple rounds of Hip Hop Abs. But like she knew they would, they had ended. They ended the one night when Beth didn't show up at her house like she said she would. And when some other identical named Sarah, had shown up and told her that Beth had killed herself, Alison knew she'd never again be kissed by her beloved Beth.


End file.
